Rev. Dr. Craig Bartholomew
Philosophy, Religion & Theology
H. Evan Runner Professor of Philosophy, Professor of Religion
Redemptive Hermeneutics
Dr. Craig Bartholomew was raised on the east coast of South Africa, near Durban. He did his early studies in theology (BTh, University of South Africa, MA Oxford University) and then specialized in Old Testament studies (MA in Old Testament at Potchefstroom University). He served as a pastor for several years in the Church of England in South Africa before going to teach at George Whitefield College, a seminary in Cape Town. During this time he was involved in founding a movement called Christian Worldview Network (CWN) through which he met fellow visionaries such as Dr. Gideon Strauss and Dr. Elaine Botha. Both Dr. Strauss and Dr. Botha eventually turned up again in his life as colleagues in Redeemer's Philosophy Department.
Dr. Bartholomew became increasingly aware of the importance of Christian philosophy for Christian scholarship. After doing a year of philosophy in Toronto, he did an interdisciplinary doctorate entitled Reading Ecclesiastes: Old Testament Exegesis and Hermeneutical Theory through the University of Bristol in the UK. Prior to coming to Redeemer to take up the Runner Chair in Philosophy position, he was a senior research fellow in the Department of Religion and Theology at the University of Gloucestershire.
Dr. Bartholomew’s main area of philosophical expertise is hermeneutics. He is particularly interested in how this relates to a Christian perspective in other disciplines and especially to biblical studies. For the past nine years Craig has directed the international Scripture and Hermeneutics Seminar which has published eight volumes in the Scripture and Hermeneutics Series (Paternoster and Zondervan). The final volume in the series, The Bible and the University, was published in 2007.
With his former Redeemer colleague Dr. Mike Goheen (now teaching at Trinity Western University), Dr. Bartholomew is engaged in writing a three volume series on Bible, Christian worldview, and Christian philosophy. The first volume, The Drama of Scripture: Finding our Place in the Biblical Story was published by Baker Academic in 2005. The second volume: Living at the Crossroads: An Introduction to Christian Worldview and Cultural Analysis was published in 2008. A third volume is planned entitled, Liberating Christian Philosophy: An Introduction to Christian Philosophy.
Dr. Bartholomew also co-edited the award winning Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible (Baker Academic, 2005). Amongst Craig’s numerous other publications are an edited volume with Fred Hughes entitled Towards a Christian Theology of Pilgrimage (Ashgate, 2004), In the Fields of the Lord: A Calvin Seerveld Reader (Piquant; Toronto Tuppence Press, 2000), and The Futures of Evangelicalism (Leicester, UK: IVP, 2003; Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2004, edited with Robin Parry and Andrew West). Craig has also published on a Christian view of art and on business ethics.
Dr. Bartholomew continues to work on the interface of hermeneutics and biblical studies and has recently completed a large commentary on Ecclesiastes (Baker Academic, 2008). At present he is writing an interdisciplinary monograph on Theology of Place in the Pentateuch.
Dr. Bartholomew is passionate about renewing the Kuyperian worldview among new generations of students. He was involved in starting a student organization called "Kuyper’s Café", which is run by students, meets about every two weeks to build community, worship and to explore topics of interest related to a Christian worldview. Guest speakers have included Al Wolters, David Naugle, C.S. Evans and Calvin Seerveld.
To relax Dr. Bartholomew enjoys music (he is a great fan of U2), walking, running and a good game of tennis. In recent years he has taken up metalsmithing as a hobby and makes and sells jewelry. For more information, view his Faculty Profile here.